Documentary makers looking for your stories

Published:13:34Friday 27 January 2017

Award-winning documentary company Testimony Films needs your help for a Channel 4 documentary to mark the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967. Through this film, we want to tell the story of gay men throughout this country during the 20th century.

Did you suffer prejudice or prosecution because of your sexuality, before or after the 1967 law was passed? Were you one of the victims of the age of consent laws which meant that young gay men could be prosecuted for having sex below the age of 21– and later 18 – whereas it was legal for everyone else? Did you live in fear of being caught? Did you have to leave your job or were you dishonourably discharged from the armed forces? Were you affected by Section 28? Did you have a positive or negative experience of coming out, or did you feel like you couldn’t reveal your sexuality? Was your relationship with your family, or your faith, affected? Were you forced to endure aversion therapy?

Despite everything, did you remain defiant and get involved in campaigns to change people attitudes and the law? In what ways did you fight for your rights? How did more liberal attitudes and equal rights for gays over the past 50 years change and enrich your life? If you have a story to share, please, contact Pete Vance or Emily Sivyer on 0117 925 8589 or at pete.vance@testimonyfilms.com or emily.sivyer@testimonyfilms.com